


Miko to Manager

by Little_Stargazer



Category: Inuyasha - Fandom, Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-04
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2018-10-28 03:41:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10822998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_Stargazer/pseuds/Little_Stargazer
Summary: It seemed like a simple request. Manage the school's basketball team, and help him coach the boys in the club.  At the time she didn't consider the trouble it would be. Weeks later she realized.“Is it too late to back out?” Kagome asked the demon sitting next to her.“Yes.”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or KnB. Each belong to their respected owners.

It was a simple request that he had given her. One she thought over for a few moments before deciding it wouldn't be impossible for her to help him out. After all, they had worked together in the past to take down a power-hungry half demon and nothing negative impacted either of them.

At first she had been shocked to say the least. To run into the once well known and greatly feared demon lord of the past at the school she had worked her butt off to get into after her adventures had ended. It shocked her even more, if that was even remotely possible, to discover he was the coach for the male basketball club. She was a first year placed in his class, and he made for a rather difficult teacher.

Yes. Sesshoumaru, the great demon lord of the West, was a teacher and basketball ball coach. For the longest time she wondered how it had come to that- and even if she was just imagining it all due to her missing the past too much than she'd like to admit. She hadn't imagined it, and it was real. 

Like any person would she asked him how he had made his decision. The response she got was that he was only bored.

“You are bored…?” Kagome bit back a snicker of laughter. At his nod she sighed. “So you chose to teach at a high school?”

“I admit that it was not the best idea I could have made when planning, but it is certainly eventful.”

Kagome shook her head. “I don't see how you manage.”

“Neither do I,” he said with a shrug. “I also wasn't anticipating seeing you here, so I suppose it is even more of a surprise.”

Yes. It had been strange, but when he stopped her three weeks later as she was exiting the classroom to head home she found herself in a situation that was a bit more.. odd.

“I would like your assistance, Miko.”

“Huh?” Kagome tilted her head to the side and she came to a complete stop. “Like with grading papers or something?” It hadn't been the first time he had requested her to stay back to help with class work, so she had been expecting something similar.

“Not exactly,” he responded. “I have a job for you that I believe would go well if you did it.” She remained silent, her eyes telling him to continue. “I would like for you to become the basketball team’s manager.”

“... What?”

“What part did you not understand?” Sesshoumaru asked her with a monotone voice.

“The part where you said that you think I'd be good for the role.”

“Oh. That. Of course,” Sesshoumaru shook his head before waving her along to follow him. It took her a few seconds before she decided to fall into step with the long haired male. “It is rather simple reasoning, Kagome,” he began. “You have keen eyes when analyzing those before you. You can be seen as a miracle healer in modern days. Your abilities lead you to having a good judgment on the stamina, strengths, weaknesses, and overall capabilities of those around you. It is something useful to have on a team for an ally-based sport.” He cleared his throat then and looked down at her. Gold eyes met blue, and he smirked, “not to mention you have a rather -ahem- headstrong personality that is appealing for the role.”

She blushed at the last words he said, and she shook her head. “Isn't there someone better to do it?”

“Not that I can tolerate,” he responded. It was almost too honest. Kagome laughed under her breath at his answer, and she eventually nodded.

“I don't see the harm in it,” she said. “You need a manager for the team, and if I'm the pick I'll at least give it a shot.” After everything that had went down in the past, it was the least she could do. They had been allies back then, so to do the same now didn't seem that hard to do.

Oh, how she had been wrong. She would soon find that it would be something beyond difficult.

“Good,” was the only response he gave her. The both of them made their way to the gym, Kagome following a few paces behind Sesshoumaru. 

She had never seen those who had joined the basketball club. She usually had other things that required her attention, opposed to whatever boys joined what club. As they got closer, the mixed sounds of talking and dribbling basketballs began to catch in her ears.

The moment Sesshoumaru walked through the door it quieted down, even more so when he paused so the both of them were in the middle of the court.

“Meet your new manager,” Sesshoumaru began, nodding his head towards her. “Her name is Higurashi Kagome.”

Kagome looked up at him before letting her eyes sweep over the others there. She could understand why he had come to her with his request. From where she stood she could already tell a lot about these men. She had to admit, he had a rather strong team here.

“Hello,” she began and flicked her hand in a small wave. “As he said, my name is Kagome. Please only call me that. I hope that this will be a nice experience for all of us.”

“Do not let her appearance and kind words deceive you. Kagome is a woman with a strong will and a strong mind.” Sesshoumaru looked at the members of his team. “If you cross her, or piss her off, well… I'll say that it was nice knowing you.”

She looked at him in slight shock before diverting her attention back to the males she attended school with. Quite a few of them seemed surprised to hear what Sesshoumaru had said.

Instead of adding on to his not-so-hidden warning, Kagome only sent them a warm, and rather vibrant, smile.

Yes. This could be fun.

…

If only she could have seen the trouble she was getting into by accepting the idea.

If she had, she would have put in more thought before sealing her fate.


	2. Chapter 1: Her Role

The pair of Sesshoumaru and Kagome would walk to the gym together. The first day she took on the job, she had been a bit on the nervous side. She was no taller than five foot two, and these boys… well, almost all of them towered over her. 

Perhaps nervous wasn’t the right word to use, she realized as she thought it over from her place at Sesshoumaru’s right side. More like intimidated. These guys were really intimidating to her as she got the chance to fully look them over. A lot of them seemed polite enough to her- granted, after dealing with Inuyasha, just a string of curses would be polite in her eyes.

She’d be one hundred percent honest. She wasn’t the most educated in the sport of basketball, but she figured that if Sesshoumaru could learn it easily enough to become a coach then it wouldn’t be all too hard for her to learn enough too.

Sesshoumaru instructed her of what her responsibilities would be, and even she could admit that it wasn’t an impossible thing for her to do. 

“Typically, the manager will handle the equipment, handle the laundry, and tend to the players to make sure they are well,” Sesshoumaru explained. Kagome nodded in understanding, and he went deeper into detail. “You will also keep track of the time, keep score and track statistics. There is more, but I will inform you later. You are to help me in ways required.”

“I understand,” she said, and blinked when he held out a clipboard for her to take. Once she did and she had looked it over, she realized what it was for. 

“Keep it on your person when here, and keep it where you may access it when needed.” Sesshoumaru handed her a marked paper. “I’d say that the role of the manager is easy, but then I’d be lying and no one can successfully lie to you and manage to get away from it once you come to learn.”

“It doesn’t seem impossible,” Kagome responded and shrugged at his words. “I’ve had to do similar things in the past with the others before. It is easy once you have it all down to a routine and schedule.”

“I am relieved to hear you are able to look at it that way,” he responded and waved her attention to the court, where the males of the club had placed themselves onto. “Take your time to analyze them get a firm grasp of them,” Sesshoumaru told her, and she gave a small tilt of her head before she focused sharp blue eyes on them. Kagome looked them over close and nodded only slightly when she got a good enough feel for them.

They were… a unique bunch, to say the very least about them. She tried to shake away the feeling of intimidation she felt as she finally decided to approach them in order to get a more solid feel for each of their energy signature. She was thankful when no one asked her what she was doing, each one remaining still and silent as she passed by them. She remained by any one of them for only a few quiet seconds before she continued on her way down the line. Anyone who desired to ask what she was doing had probably held back upon hearing their coach’s warning to how she was. A part of her wasn’t sure why he had done it, but he seemed to feel it was important enough so she wouldn’t bother to question it out loud. For all she knew he had done it so they wouldn't try to walk over her due to how fragile her appearance seemed to make her out to be. On the inside she was far from being so. After spending so many days with a loud mouthed half demon you tend to shed that fragile side, and she had been no different.

A few of those who were less than the best stiffened when she set a palm to their arm, and she could only do her best to ignore the action. It was kinda funny, anyway. She did not do it to all of them. She only walked passed by most of them when a tough air met her. There was no need for physical contact with them.

She saw no point in seeing what was underneath if the air surrounding them was already stronger than she had anticipated. Kagome closed her eyes and gave a quiet hum as she got to the end of the line, clasping her hands together behind her back.

After she had finished her examination of the males there she stepped back and turned to face Sesshoumaru.

“I think I can deal with this,” she told him with a smile. This was not something she was used to, managing a basketball team, and he knew that. However, he had come to her on the matter, and she could understand why he had. It could be understood that she had been a crucial part to the pack she ran with in the past, and she often took care of her friends. He needed her to do something similar, and better, with these boys. 

“Good.” 

His response was accompanied by a small smile, one that made her feel a little on the uncomfortable side.

Since when had Sesshoumaru learned to smile so genuinely?

-..-..-..-..-

And that was how she made her decision to take the role of becoming the manager for the men’s basketball club. In hindsight, at the time, it hadn’t seemed like it would be something all too hard or bad to take on. She often finished her school work during class, so that left afternoons free and her bored. It seemed like a thing to occupy her time, as well as something to form a couple of semi-okay friendships during her high school career. 

The guys, while mostly very odd for a team, were nice enough. Most- all, really, complied easily enough with her suggestions and requests. She wasn't a demanding person unless irritated, and most of them time she remained polite and calm to those who played the sport. She began to desire to see these men win in their games, and she let that lead her heart as she tended to them as Sesshoumaru had requested of her.

The laundry was never hard, and neither was keeping up with water bottles.

A practice match had been requested by her today, and she remained on the sidelines as she watched them play. Blue eyes followed the movements on the court intently, and every now and again she would swap which player she was following after making a few notes on them upon the paper fastened to the clipboard she held secure in her arms. The game soon ended, and she had gotten most of the information she had needed for now. She offered a few of the players heading over to her water bottles and towels as the passed by her before returning her eyes to what she had been writing, adding on a few more notes as she did.

“You are such a dear, Kag-chan~”

She blinked at the voice, and she looked from her clipboard. Kagome tilted her head to the side as she stared up a member of Rakuzan’s basketball team. “Huh?” she let out a quiet noise as she looked back down really quick to finish what she had been scribbling down. “Did you need something Mibuchi-senpai?” she asked as she focused.

Practice was close to ending for the day, and now most of the males on the court were heading over to where she was. She set the clipboard down and went to hand them a drink.

Sesshoumaru made his way over to where she had originally been and picked up the clipboard she had set down, looking closely at what she had been writing. She had been making notes on each of the boy’s key skills and capability. He set what he had picked up back in its spot before following Kagome with closed eyes.

He had to admit to the fact that she was serious about this, and that only made him that much more proud his assessment of her and this role was right. It went on better seeing as the males of the team were able to get along with her without much of a hindrance. He had been glad to give them the warning of crossing her and getting her angry.

While his brother must have been born for the role, him being so naturally capable of stepping on the miko’s nerves, Sesshoumaru had used all of the mistakes that fool had made to know what he should avoid.

Still he was glad to see her adapting quick. She had only been there for two days so far, and she had already found herself in the swing of everything. He found it a bit on the humorous side when a few of the players attempted to get on her good side out of unease of what should the seemingly nurturing girl do when provoked by the first fool to do so. 

The only thing that would be able help them in that case would be to stay far away from her and the moron at fault. She had, regrettably, picked up a few negative traits from Inuyasha and others during her time in the past.

“Ah!” 

Gold eyes darted up when the feminine yelp was heard. Others did the same out of a mix of curiosity and concern. He was worried a small bit. 

Had she already ended up getting hurt?

A sigh left him when he saw her get caught by one of the players before she could stumble forward onto the gym floor.

“You shouldn't do that to her,” Reo frowned, hands holding securely onto the girl’s arms, as he lectured the muscular man responsible for the girls near tumble. “Yours hurt enough as it is. She could have gotten injured.”

Kagome turned and only waved one hand while the other went to her suddenly sore shoulder, where just seconds ago she had been given a slap of praise. At least, she hoped that was what it meant. While it was common on court, she wasn't sure if she was fond of the act. “It is fine,” she said with a smile. The pain faded as soon as it came and she clipped her pen into the slot on the clipboard. “I was only caught by surprise, is all.” It was embarrassing to admit it, but it was true. She had been so engrossed in the task she had been given that she hadn't taken notice of the large man, even as he greeted her. Kagome huffed and turned on her heel. She looked back and smirked. “Don't think it'll happen again though, Nebuya-senpai.”

She skipped over to where Sesshoumaru stood and offered him a small nod in greeting. He returned the favor and looked at her expectantly. Kagome glanced at the males over her shoulder before huffing.

“It wasn't exactly easy, but I got the list set up for you.” Kagome sighed and looked down at the floor underfoot. “I got so focused.”

“I am glad “ he told her as they walked side by side. “I knew you would be a good pick for many reasons. This is one of those reasons.” He saw as she nodded, and he rose an eyebrow. “It is also fascinating to see how fast they were to relax around you.”

“Huh?” Kagome blinked, nothing but confusion appearing on her facial expression. He was almost disgusted by the oblivious side of her personality. How was it that someone so keenly aware of so much could also be so oblivious at the same time? It made absolutely zero sense to him, but so did most human natures.

“Do not concern yourself with it,” he said as he held his hand up to wave her away. “Have everything organized by tomorrow's practice. We will go from there, Kagome.”

“Okay!”

Kagome fixed her hair into a neat ponytail before heading over to the group of males still relaxing at the end of their practice. 

“It was a good day,” she said as she walked past them to make sure no one needed her assistance. “You all make for a good team, but after watching the practice match you had I am able to track and map out a good training regimen for you all that will be beneficial. I am assuming that Coach will want to start tomorrow, but I am unsure if he will be that way. As of right now, however, expect it to be that way.” She looked at her clipboard and tapped her finger next to a note she had jotted down in a hurry near the end of practice. “Do not attempt to hide any muscular pain from me. I will spot it, and I will take care of it. If you need my assistance you all have my number so do not hesitate in calling if it is urgent.” Kagome looked back up at them and let her arms hang at her side. “Unless anyone has something to add on, or if I am needed, then that is all for today.” When she was met with silence, Kagome nodded. “Good,” she said before turning, “then remember what I have told you. Head home when you can and get some proper rest tonight. Call if you require me for whatever reason. I'll see you all tomorrow, boys.”

As she walked, Kagome could register that she was somewhat tired- more so than usual. She realized that it was probably only due to watching the Rakuzan team practice so hard, but still… It had been such a long time since she felt this exhausted. She was also interested. Who knew what tomorrow would bring.

Kagome shook her head and hummed as she walked. She didn't have time to worry about much other than what Sesshoumaru had asked her to do. She thought back to her notes she had taken, and closed her eyes. If she wanted to get everything in order for tomorrow she'd better hurry and get started on it all.


	3. Chapter 2: Opinion of Them

There were quite a number of players on the Rakuzan basketball team. Most were good, but few were better than just good. She was able to get along well with the boys of the team, and that made it just a bit more easier to do as Sesshoumaru had requested of her. Each player was unique and some had been difficult to deal with at first, but she found a way to make the time she spent with them enjoyable.

There were four she dealt with the most. Whether it was by demand of Sesshoumaru that she speak with them about any one matter, or if it was just simple conversation started by either one of them, it was the same four that she did talk to one-on-one at least once a day.

To others, those four were known of three of the Uncrowned Kings and the last being of the Generation of Miracles. She didn’t know much about those titles, as her prior time had been filled with running for her life and running herself on empty just to keep up with her modern life. She did know enough, however, to understand that those titles were connected to how good they were.

The three Uncrowned Kings were her upperclassmen while the member of the Miracles was in her own grade.

Mibuchi Reo, Nebuya Eikichi, and Hayama Kotaro were the three Uncrowned Kings, and Akashi Seijuro was the Generation of Miracles player. They were a far cry from normal, but she had also dealt with worse before.

Reo was a favorite of hers, hands down. He was polite and nice when interacting with her, even if he had the habit to lecture and nag the other members of the team. He was often the first to greet her when she came to the gym, but not always. He had raven colored hair and dark green eyes that stood out strongly against pale skin.

Eikichi was almost the exact opposite of Reo, but she still could admit to the fact that she did like him. He was rude, but she was able to tolerate that enough to where it didn’t irritate her. He was extremely muscular and large. When standing next to him she felt much smaller than she really was. He had darker skin in comparison with his teammates and short black hair. He also had a small bit of facial hair on his chin. To many, he seemed older than he really was- even to her when she first met him.

Kotaro was always fun to be around if you ever asked her. While he could be almost annoyingly energetic, she had to admit that she enjoyed his agile and athletic nature. Occasionally, when he would be the first to greet her, he usually did so by coming up behind her in an attempt to catch her by surprise. It never really worked like he hoped for, but he didn’t cease in his attempts. She was honestly wondering if she should fake it just to make him stop. He had short blonde hair and a snaggle tooth on the right side of his mouth. The only thing that slightly annoyed her- but she did anyway out of her respect for him- was that he demanded her call him senpai. 

Then there was the male known as Akashi Seijuro. He was… she had no idea how to even begin to describe him. His hair was a bright and noticeable red shade, and his eyes were heterochromatic. Despite his extremely intimidating nature, which she had been anxious to deal with upon first meeting him, he was smaller than the others of his team. He was, in his own words, absolute and right. From the very start, when she had first spoken to him on her own, she could sense there was something… rather strange about Seijuro. He has a strong winner's-mentality. Upon speaking to Sesshoumaru about him he could only offer her a shrug in response. Seijuro was the strongest of the team, there was no sense in denying that, and she could only brush that feeling off as she interacted with him. Upon dealing with him a few times over, and having to hold a few conversations with him, she was quick to become moderately comfortable with interacting with him. They were both in the same year, but in different classes. Having to see him after school could be done easily by her. After all, she had been forced to deal with Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru, sometimes at the same time. To her, dealing with Akashi could be seen as a cakewalk compared to those two demons.

Other players, while she had to interact with them on numerous occurrences, did not keep up with her daily as others did. Although… there was one other she did have an interest in.

Mayuzumi Chihiro. He was usually quiet, and he will frequently ignore people if he feels like doing so. He has a lack of a presence, but she could still remain aware of him being around. If it wasn’t for her ability to read auras she might forget about him being there more than just a handful of times. His sense of respect for himself was high, and she did somewhat admire that about him. He was a realist, she concluded as she watched him, and he was aware of his own limitations. Due to the fact of his habit of quietness, Kagome indulged in that trait as well when interacting with him. She occasionally also suggested light novels that her friends had enjoyed to him, seeing as he had a habit of reading them.

Kagome sighed as she shook her head and turned her eyes back down to concentrate on her work before her. She only had a few things left to do before she could count it as done and out of the way. Not long ago she had gotten off the phone with Sesshoumaru and listened to a few of his own ideas for her to add into her papers. 

She stretched high into the air before yawning and tilting her head back. Kagome huffed and turned her attention back to the paper on her desk. She wrote down a few more things before sighing.

There. That should be good for now. If need be, she’d fine tune it after getting Sesshoumaru’s opinion.

-..-..-..-..-..-

She woke up a bit later than usual the next day, and readied herself for the day ahead of her before rushing off to school with only calling a short goodbye over her shoulder.

It left her mother standing in confusion at the doorway and her brother watching as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

“What’s up with her?” Souta mumbled. 

“I’m not sure…” Kun-Loon said, setting a palm to her cheek as she watched the path her daughter had taken. “She must just be busy.” She turned to face her other child and pushed him along in front of her. “You too, you too. Get ready. You have to leave in fifteen minutes.”

He groaned, but followed his mother’s orders.

-..-..-..-..-..-  
The day passed by quick for her, and she was working quietly on her classwork when the dismissal bell rang. Once others in the room had piled out one by one, Sesshoumaru came over to her and paused by where she was slowly putting her school supplies back into her bag. Before a word could leave his mouth, she turned abruptly and handed him what she had been working on the prior night.

He looked it over with a precise gaze before nodding in approval of what she had done. “This is acceptable. Good work, Miko. Get Akashi’s opinion on it, and if he deems it okay, it will be started today.” 

Kagome rolled her eyes at his attempted praise. She then gave a nod of understanding before turning back to put up her stuff.

“I will be late today. I have a meeting that I cannot skip out on, so I will need you to start the practice today.”

“How long will it be?” Kagome asked as she closed her bag and set it on her shoulder.

“Thirty minutes, fifty max, I presume.” Sesshoumaru said, “having you take over for me is more appealing than canceling for the day. You can handle on your own, right?” He had wanted her to help with their practices and assist him in coaching as she performed her managerial role, but he wondered if it was too soon to have her do that. It had not been long since she had started.

Kagome nodded and flicked her hand in a small wave. “Uh-huh,” she said as she made her way to the door of the classroom. “I’ll see you when you are done with the meeting.”

“I will see you then, Kagome,” he called back to her and returned to his desk to get the materials he would need. When he looked back up the girl had already gone on her way, and he smiled.

Today would be the day, it seemed. Today would be the day that they got a taste of her capability. Were they ready to deal with her without him present? Who knew the answer to that, but he was interested to see the aftermath of what today would bring.

It was something she had picked up from the slayer she had ran with back then. How focused she got when wanting to see something happen as she desired was something admirable to him.

“Get prepared, boys,” he murmured under his breath as he picked up his phone and books, “be ready for the side of the miko that managed to capture my attention more than once on many occasions.”

-..-..-..-..-..-  
She had made it to the gym later than usual due to her conversation with Sesshoumaru, and she had also stopped off at one of the restrooms to fix her hair up in a sloppy bun. A few seemed confused to see only her, considering the pair of coach and manager often arrived together as the manager was in the class the coach taught. Kagome was quiet as she passed by them, ignoring any question brought up. 

She set her stuff down and glanced at her wrist quick enough to be sure she had the key to the storage room before looking up to finally catch the stares of some of the players. Blue met heterochromatic red and orange, and she only offered the redhead a smile as she went to stand in a more visible spot. 

“Coach has a meeting today so he will be late for practice,” she said as she crossed her arms over her chest. “As a result I will start of the practice for today.”

There were a few replies of understanding, and a few of the players standing in the back seemed to relax at hearing that. Kagome frowned and narrowed her eyes.

“Just because I am not him does not mean I will cut you any slack,” she said as she turned on her heel, her tone going cold as she did so. “Start with the usual warm up. I was right. The new training regimen is starting today, only I will be the one to introduce it.” Kagome picked up her clipboard and started her notes for today’s practice before heading to the storage room where the supplies was kept. “Sei-kun,” she called out to him and he fell into step behind her without even having her ask him to. She handed him her clipboard as she unlocked the door, and he looked over what she had written down. 

“You are rather perceptive person, Kagome.”

She somewhat froze at hearing those words, and she only shrugged as she looked back over her shoulder. “It was the order of the coach that I come up with that after watching the match yesterday. It is meant for improvement, so I hope it is up to your standards. Sensei approved it before I left to come here.” 

“It is fine for now,” Akashi responded as he caught the ball tossed at him by the raven haired girl.

“I’m glad,” was her response as she gathered the needed supplies, feeling as those odd eyes followed her movements. “If you have nothing to add on then go warm up with the others, Seijuro-kun.” Kagome said as she turned cold eyes onto him.

Her demand didn’t seem to shake him as it would others, and he only focused more on her expression. “I understand why he picked you for this role,” he said finally, and Kagome only answered with a rising eyebrow. “Even if you are uneasy, it does not show on your face, Kagome.”

“I’ve learned to deal with things like that,” she said as she shrugged. “I’ve mostly gotten used to people here, so I’ve adapted to the personalities.” She looked at the time on her phone, and nodded at him. “Now, please, go warm up. You will start practice with the others, even if you have yet to warm up.”

He did as she had requested of him then and turned to join the others not far away from where the two had been. Admittedly, the pair of them had not interacted as much as others but after only a few words he could see quite a bit about the small student.

She was a mostly calm woman who did not seem particularly easy to anger. The Coach’s reasoning as to why that was had been that it was due to months on end of having to deal with constant nerve-grating people. She had adapted a strong enough mind and will to where agitation would not be easy for her to fall into. 

But still… they all had been warned to keep far from the thought of causing her anger. It must go to say that she had quite the temper- should it make a debut there.


	4. Chapter Three: Sweet, Yet Strict

The sound of a whistle was what met his sensitive hearing as he began to approach the gym. He paused and glanced down at his phone to check the time. He had been right, and the meeting had ended shortly after a half hour had passed by. Sesshoumaru brushed his hair back and pulled it into a hair tie to keep it from his face and he resumed in his slow pace to the gym where his team was currently practicing.

“Again!”

He stopped at the doors when he heard the shout come from the female taking his place for the moment. A smirk worked its way onto his face as he crossed his arms. For a few minutes he just watched as she led them in the new training regimen she had made to fit them. She wasn’t quite at his level, of course, but she was not showing any slack or will to let them slow down.

When it became needed then she would relent and have them rest for a moment, and knowing when is something she would notice. Blue eyes remained sharp, and her judgement precise as she demanded that they, once again, perform the same exercise.

“Take a break after this,” she said then as she turned to head to the bench before those on the court could start. Kagome handed them water bottles and towels as they approached her, a warm smile lifting her face as she did the action. She looked over at where he stood and nodded, and he finally stepped into the gym to head over to where the others were.

“I am pleased with the sight I arrived to see,” Sesshoumaru said. “When I am unable to make it, Kagome will lead the practices until I am able to get here. I can only assume training with her might be a bit easier,” he admitted with a shrug, “but do not think it is any reason other than the fact that Kagome is a sweet person. She will care regardless of how you do, but that is what she is used to. She has the same expectations that I do, so do not make her get rid of that sweet side to her.” Sesshoumaru paused and looked at Kagome, who was only glaring back at him for his choice of words. “I admit, I was worried about leaving her in charge so soon after meeting you all, but then I remembered that she is, and will always remain, a leader.” 

Such a rightful leader, as well. In the past she may have been modest or perhaps even too embarrassed to accept the title but a leader was what she had been. The pack she ran with, no matter how mismatched and strange to even think about how it managed to work, had been under her command. For a bunch of humans and a half demon it had to be declared strong. Others may have assumed Inuyasha to be the leader, him having been the main strength of the group, but those who saw how the inner workings went knew it was easy to see the true leader, for even Inuyasha bowed down to Kagome more than just a handful of times.

“She is what I wanted to see added into this group,” Sesshoumaru continued and swapped his attention back to his players. “An alpha female to lead when necessary. A dominant and strong willed woman, yet someone who will care and look after you all without any form of hesitation. Most, admittedly, would not be able to take on this role as they can be swayed by emotions. Kagome is no different, but it is apparent to me that she will be less likely to let emotions win over her mind.” She had learned well in the past to be that way. She knew what others could not even begin to understand. “Those of you who were confused as to why I have requested her personally to be the manager, and even went to her to ask her so, now I hope you somewhat understand.”

Kagome cleared her throat and sighed. “There is also no special relationship between the coach as myself, either. We know each other well, but that is because we met several times before I started school here.” Sesshoumaru had spoken so much of her personality. She did not wish for anyone there to think that they too close. They were not.

“She is right,” he said. “We are well acquainted due to her history with my brother.” He turned then and waved for them to follow. “Now resume what you had been doing before the break. I will be taking over, and Kagome shall resume her position.”

“Yes.” Kagome said as she made her way to stand in front of the bleachers to track the progress of the players. 

She had to admit, she was pretty proud as she watched them work so hard. They were still working so hard, even after all of the effort they had put in so far. Sesshoumaru would work them harder than she had, no doubt, but, even then, it was good to see them having such a tight grasp on what they were doing. For a moment she forgot these boys were still only high schoolers.

There was room for them to improve. Then again, there usually always was room for improvement. Rakuzan was a top school in so many categories, and basketball was one of them. Yet, even in knowing that, there was still so much to improve on.

Kagome tapped the tip of her pen on her paper as she made another note. Their first official game would be soon, and as the days continued to pass by it only began to feel quicker. Sesshoumaru wanted her to come up with a good enough starting line up for them, but she wasn’t sure if it’d be easy to do. For now, though, she would continue her examination of them.

She bit her lower lip before her mouth formed into a small grin. This was quite a bit of fun that she was having.  
-..-..-..-..-..-  
When it got to the point where the line up would need to be decided on, Sesshoumaru requested she make it on her own with zero outside imput from anyone else- even himself.

“Eh?” Kagome tilted her head to the side. She was positive that confusion was evident on her face, but she tried to ignore it as she focused on the demon standing next to her. “Don’t you at least want to hear who I think should be starting?”

“I do, but only after it is decided by you,” he responded as the pair watched the practice from the sidelines. “You can tell who is more suitable to start, probably better than myself. I can trust that you will pick the best to start this year off.”

She understood what he wanted her to do, but she was still unsure just because it seemed like something that called for a discussion, at least. Still, she bit back her sigh and nodded. “I will pick those who I think will be the best to start.” She already had a few thoughts on the line up, but she would still take others into consideration.

“Good. Pick those up to your standards, Kagome.”

“Yes.”

She had done what was requested of her that day before leaving the gym. At the end of practice she had made herself comfortable on the bench and began to write up a list for her to go through. Quite a few of the players left minutes after the end of practice, while others hung back to keep at it for a while longer. She watched those who had remained behind for a few more minutes before she looked back down at what she was working on.

It wasn’t an easy task for her, which was probably why Sesshoumaru had requested she do it on her own. He wanted her to give it a lot of thought.

It wasn’t even a question that some were less than on top of their game so far. Some had began to slack during practice, and if Sesshoumaru or herself wouldn’t catch fast enough then Akashi would. She began to wonder who all, if any, would quit in the following days. If they quit, then they didn’t seem as strong willed as the others there.

Kagome sighed and shook her head. Last week two players had quit. It made her sad, yes, but she couldn’t really stick her nose into it. She crossed through one of the names she had written down as a potential person. He didn’t seem up to it yet, and he had been getting more and more anxious as the match got closer.

She went through the list as she listened to the dribbling basketballs and squeaking shoes as background noise. The once bare paper had been filled with lines and scribbled out nonsense as she continued to mull over the possibilities.

A hand landed on her shoulder and she jerked a bit before looking up. Her eyes met chocolate brown as the familiar faces of two of her three friends stared down at her.

“We’ve been waiting, Kagome-chan,” Eri said as she took a step back. Ayumi nodded as she let her hand fall to her side.

“Study group, remember?”

Kagome blinked twice before looking at the time on her phone. She let out a quiet yelp and shook her head. They were supposed to meet in the library over an hour ago. “I’m sorry,” she apologized and stood up to get her things. “I was busy working on something, and I guess time got away from me.”

“It’s okay, we understand!” Ayumi said as she offered the slightly frazzled girl an assuring smile. “Would it be okay if we come over to study with you? Stay the night, too?”

Kagome nodded in response. “That’ll be fine.” She looked around for her final friend, and her expression went blank upon seeing her chatting up a few of the remaining players. “Oi, Yuka! Come on. We’re going to my place!”

The short haired girl turned to face her friends before giving a nod. “Yay! Dinner with Kag-chan’s family,” she sang as she skipped over to her friends. “My mom and dad are on a trip right now. I was worried I’d have to cook tonight!”

“You’re not the best cook,” Eri said as she patted Yuka’s shoulders. “Where are your parents at anyway?”

“They went to Guatemala for their anniversary. They won’t be getting home until next week,” she said with a tired sigh. 

Kagome bit back her laugh and shook her head. “I’ll give you some easy recipes and go shopping with you tomorrow after practice ends if you want.”

“Ah? Really?!” Yuka let out a joyed squeal, throwing her arms around Kagome when she nodded. “Just nothing too spicy, ‘kay?”

Kagome nodded again and felt as Eri came up on her other side, Ayumi standing next to her. “Got it!”

As they left the gym, Kagome felt as Yuka pressed herself closer to her, eyes going to some of the boys heading the opposite way to go home. “Ah, Kag-chan, how do you ever manage to focus when they all look so good?”

Kagome almost fell at hearing Yuka ask that. “E-Eh?”

“Oh, come on! Spill,” Eri pitched in then. “Is there one you like the most?”

Kagome shook her head at Eri’s question. “Not particularly. I like them all, but not in the way you seem to want to know.”

“Fine,” Yuka sighed before gaining her spark back. “Whatever happened to that thing between you and Hojo?”

“Yeah,” Ayumi nodded at hearing their middle school companion get brought up. “Did it not work out?”

“What thing?” Kagome asked. “I kept telling you all that I wasn’t into him while you all kept setting me up with him. He was a friend, and that’s that.”

“Mmm…” Yuka hummed before sighing. “The only guy you ever showed a sliver of interest in was a two-timing jerk.”

“Please don’t tell us that is, like, your type now,” Eri said in the same tone of voice as Yuka.

“It isn’t a good type of relationship for you, Kagome-chan,” Ayumi pitched into the current concern between them all. “You’re a nice girl with so many positive traits. You can get someone who is faithful and nice.”

Kagome felt her eyebrow twitch. Why had their talk turned into her love life, or her lack of one? She let out an exhausted sigh as she shook her head. “I appreciate the concerns, but they’re not needed. Types like that don’t appeal to me.”

“So if you had to pick a guy on the team to date, who would it be?”

“What kind of question is that, Eri!?” Kagome hissed at her friend’s question, “none of them! I’m the manager, not potential girlfriend.” Kagome shook her head, realizing how bad that might have sounded for whatever possibility. “They’re all pretty great, yeah, but dating an athlete? No thanks, I think I’ll pass.”

“Eh, why? So many girls would love to date any one of them!” Yuka shouted in response. “Not mention it’d be super cute! Talk about height differences!”

“There are numerous girls at our school, and probably other schools, who have crushes on them. I’m not really into the jealous other’s aspect of it,” Kagome said as she waved her hand up and down, “and I’m just not interested in any of them that way. I have other things to worry about opposed to dating someone.” She sighed and closed her eyes. “Now, can we stop talking about the lack of my love life and focus on something that is actually needed, like the lessons?”

“Oh boo,” Yuka pouted at Kagome’s request before nodding. 

“Good, because I have zero idea what he’s been teaching us. I always fall asleep during history,” Eri whined. “I just can’t focus.”

Kagome laughed, “I have the same problem with math. It’s complete torture.”

“If you want to know torture try chemistry. I hate it so much, but I need a good grade,” Ayumi let out a sad noise. “How is it that I can do good in everything else, but in chemistry my brain gets fried?”

The other three laughed at her statement, understanding the agony she felt when it came to that one subject that troubled them. Upon making it back to the shrine, the four girls were welcomed back, and they soon marched up the stairs to the raven haired girl’s room to begin on their studying.

It was hours later, as the other three napped in different places in her room, that Kagome found herself sitting up on her bed, her clipboard set in her lap as she tapped her lip with the end of the pen.

She hummed softly to herself as she added another name to the list of those who would be on the starting line up. Several minutes later she added the last name and put the clipboard to the side. She fell back into her pillows as she let out a tired sigh.

“That was harder than I thought it would be,” she muttered to herself, “but it’s done,” she said through her yawn as she rolled onto her side to finally go to sleep.  
-..-..-..-..-..-  
The next morning the four girls woke up to the knocking of Kun-Loon on Kagome’s bedroom door. Each of them sat up slow as the door was opened, and the older woman poked her head through the crack.

“You’re uniforms are hanging in the laundry room,” she said as the younger girls said their thanks. 

Kagome got out of bed and stretched. She twisted her back a bit and pointed to her closest. “Your just-in-case bags are in my closet.” 

Just-in-case bags had been thought up by Ayumi after one too many times of staying over with each other and not having clean clothing to wear. They had back up pajamas, underclothes, toothbrushes, and other things that weren’t recommended to be shared. Each of them kept a bag at their home for each of the four there. The clothing they had slept in would be washed and put in the bag for next time, and other things were thrown away or replaced if they cannot be used again.

It was pretty handy, and it was nice to have them around just in case they were needed.

She was met with three responses and she left her room to head to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

After they had all gotten fully ready to leave, and ate breakfast, they went on their way to school, each of them quizzing the other on a few questions that had been done the night prior. 

Upon reaching the school they all went their separate ways to do what they had to do. She wasn’t sure where Sesshoumaru would be first thing in the morning, so she only settled for heading to her class.

-..-..-..-..-..-..-  
“Would it be okay for Yuka to wait with me in the gym for practice to end?” Kagome asked Sesshoumaru as the two made their way to the gym. “She has a club meeting today, so she’d probably there near the end anyway.”

“I have no issue with it,” he said in response, and Kagome pulled her phone from her skirt pocket to send a message to the other girl. “Are you two planning to study again?”

“No,” Kagome said as they entered the gym. “Her parents are on vacation, so she’s left on her own until they get back. She can’t cook that well, so I gave her a few recipes she could follow and we were going to go shopping after practice ends.”

“I trust you have the starting players done?”

“Yup!” Kagome said with a nod, “I got it done last night before I went to bed.” She handed him the clipboard, and his eyes were met with a mess of scribbled out and circled names. On the lower part of the page was the full list, written clear and clean so there was no way to make a mistake. He looked over the people who she had picked, and he nodded.

“It does not shock me that these are who you have picked,” he said and looked back at Kagome. “The list is suitable and will suffice just fine. Good work,” he said, and Kagome felt a warm blush creep up on her face.

“Thank you,” she said as she took the clipboard back from him.

Players were still entering the gym, and, as she set her stuff down and went in search of her pen still in her bag, she felt as someone began to sneak up behind her turned back. She knew who it was instantly, and she began to consider playing into what he wanted. Her posture showed no hint that she was aware of him, and she finally came to her decision.

As soon as a set of fingers prodded against her sides in an attempt to make her jolt upright, she let out a loud yelp. She was answered with a responding laugh.

“Yes!” Hayama let out a victorious cry and Kagome only shook her head, turning slowly to face the energetic man. “I managed to startle you,” he said as he pointed at her.

“Ah, you sure did,” Kagome said, smiling as he seemed to be happy after succeeding. She swatted his arm and grabbed her pen and clipboard. “Good job.”

Sesshoumaru watched her with an unreadable expression, and she only shrugged in response. 

Don’t ask, her expression said, and he didn’t.


	5. Chapter Four: Cheer- What?

Kagome sighed as she stood, her eyes roaming over the forms of the boys on the Rakuzan basketball team. How long had she been their manager so far? She had honestly lost track after a few weeks had ticked by. It was silent for a moment before she was jolted out of her thoughts by a calm and ever-even toned voice. She blinked and turned, and her eyes met orange and red.

“What is it?” Kagome asked the redhead now standing at her side. She let the clipboard she held fall a bit, and she held it loosely at her side.

“The coach informed me that you finished the starting lineup list,” Akashi said and held his hand out, waiting patiently for her to react to his words. Seconds later he saw as she jerked a bit as she unclipped the sheet of paper from the clipboard she always carried.

“Oh!” Kagome shook her head and handed him the paper so he could see her choice on who would be the starters. “Here you are!”

“Thank you,” Akashi told her and he took the paper she had held out to him, eyes automatically going to read who the small girl had picked out of the entire team. He looked over the names and nodded. “Very well,” he said, “it is a good list, Kagome.”

“It wasn’t easy to pick but I gave it my best shot,” she said with a small shrug. “If it works, well, then it works, I suppose. I’m still getting used to everyone, though, so…”

“It will suffice for the first game, at least.”

Despite her keen eye and skill at observation, the tiny female manager often showcased doubt in her action and words. It somewhat made him curious, admittedly. 

“Having doubt is pointless,” he told her as he turned on his heel to head back to where the rest of the team sat as they cooled down from the day’s practice. “You will learn soon to be sure of your decisions, Kagome. Understand that.”

She gave him a strange look, despite the fact he wasn’t facing her. “Uhm… Thank you?” She didn’t know how to handle hearing those words- especially if they came from Akashi. But… with him, acceptance and listening always seemed to be the best route to take, opposed to disagreeing with him for any pointless reason.

“Yes, you’re welcome,” Akashi said in response as the two of them made their way over to the rest.

* * *

By the time their first game reached them, Kagome had been glad to see them a bit more improved than they had originally been. Although… as the days continued to progress, those who she spent most of the time after practice speaking to began to grow more… attached.  At least, that is the only word she could find to work with how it went.

Friendliness she could handle. Hell, everyone could handle being friends with a bunch of guys, considering it would keep bothersome people away from her. It was when they began to insist on contact with her that she began to draw a small line in the nonexistent sand between them.

Did it do much?

Not really, no. It hardly did anything.

Next came the insistence of a few of them desiring to carry her or lift her in some sort of fashion.

And then there was the matter of Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru…. That traitorous ass… he never was much help to her.  He’d only watch and probably laugh inside his own damn head at her issue with the men of his team. 

Don’t get her wrong, they were all still as nice as ever to her, but… it was getting to the point of being overly so. She didn’t exactly understand the point of it all.

Was it even a problem? A part of her thought that, somehow, she was looking too much into it all, so she often kept it far from her mind, and she would instead focus on things much more important.

The first game, for example, that was being played.  When they won she couldn’t help it.

She got so excited that she cheered along with the crowd. What else was she supposed to do? Her boys had just won! She was happy for them, and rightfully so! She could have sworn that she heard as Sesshoumaru chuckled at her side, but she couldn’t be too positive about it. After all, she had never so much as heard a snort of amusement come from him.

“You all did wonderful!” She praised them while offering them towels and water. A large smile was on her face as she did so, and, once done, she clasped her hands together in front of her.

_ It was at this point that she had still yet to realize what she had gotten into. But, had she realized then, would she have cared? _

In the following days, everything was still good and all great, if you asked her. Practices went well, and, after the first win, those less than sure started to perk up a lot more, which she deemed as fantastic. Often Sesshoumaru would make remarks on her lively energy and how it did a good job at influencing the men of the team.

He liked to dub her as their personal little cheerleader, despite her not liking the name. It picked up quick, thanks to Hayama.  For the most part, her lively energy would get the majority of the players picked back up if they were feeling down. She could handle that, she supposed, since it overall improved the team.

If that meant she’d have to carry the name as a cheerleader, then, well… she guessed that she would do it. Even if she did not like the little nickname she received in return. The greater good- that was what she would deal with it for.

* * *

“I am pleased to see you handling everything so well, Kagome,” Sesshoumaru commented one day as the two of them left the gym in step with one another. “You do not have any complaints, do you?” 

Practice had been over for almost a half hour so far, and the rest of the boys had already exited the gym as well. Kagome blinked at those words and looked up from her clipboard, pinning her pen under the metal clamp at the top. She shrugged.

“Well it is pretty easy once you get everything down,” she responded and brushed her bangs back from the front of her face “As for complaints… well, I’m not too keen on being dubbed the cheerleader title, but it isn’t all that bad.”

“Ah, yes, well that will not be changing any time soon. It’s a nickname that has stuck to you.”

“Oh  _ joy _ ,” she let out an exhausted sigh. She shook her head and let her woes over the nickname she had been made to take slip from her mind as she glanced up at the sky above the walking pair. “I must admit, though…”

Sesshoumaru swapped his attention over to focus on her face, silently waiting for the girl next to him to speak once more.

“It is kinda nice. The guys are all pretty great- well for the most part,” Kagome said. “I enjoy the unintentional benefits of it all, actually!” Kagome laughed, and Sesshoumaru arched a brow.

“Oh? And what are these benefits?”

Kagome smiled broadly before letting a light hum come from her. “I know it might be bad of me to say this, but I don’t have to deal with any awkward asking-out stuff that I had to deal with in middle school. Guys are too intimidated, considering I spend a lot of free time with the basketball team. Granted, I know the men on the team are often nice- well… most of them are, but from afar they can be pretty scary to others. I admit- if I didn’t have to deal with them daily, then I’d probably be a bit frightened by them, myself.”

Sesshoumaru heard her giggle and he shook his head with a small smile lifting his lips.

“I wouldn’t say that is unintentional.”

She blinked at his comment. “Huh?”

“You assumed that it is an unintentional benefit, but it isn’t. I hoped for that, actually.”

“Wait so you’re telling me-”

“Yes, I desired to keep the male population of the school off of your case.” He had no qualms about freely speaking the truth on the intention. “It’d be… annoying having to lay witness to it. It was the easiest way, and this way I got exactly what I desired. Both you as a manager, and keep males away from you.”

Kagome felt… she wasn’t sure what she felt. She was a bit bothered by the fact that Sesshoumaru had gone to the lengths he had, but she also wasn’t able to complain. As she had said earlier, she appreciated not having to deal with it.

“And anyhow, I am glad to see you are fine with that as well. Since you are, I see no point in having to hide that reason from you.”

“Any other reasons you wanna tell me?”

Sesshoumaru shrugged at her question. “Right now? No, nothing that I desire to tell you at this moment in time.”

Kagome gave him a wary look before rolling her eyes. 

“Unbelievable.”

“What is?”

Kagome stifled a laugh at his words before turning to look at him. “You!”

“I can see where you’re coming from.”

She actually laughed at that comment before taking a step away from him. Up ahead there was a large group of students and faculty leaving the school campus at the end of the day. She could see the forms of her friends waiting for her up ahead near the gate. She spared Sesshoumaru one last look before waving a quick goodbye to him and rushing ahead to meet up with the three girls.


	6. Chapter Five: My Cute Manager

“Wait huh?” Kagome felt a frown rising to mar her face as she listened to the nervous chatter of yet another one of her girlfriends.

_ “Sorry to cancel on you so suddenly…” _ Yuka trailed off, her tone weighed down with guilt. Hearing her speak like that made Kagome feel a bit worse.  _ “My parents won’t let me leave. I have no other choice than to study. I’ll make it up to you later, okay? They even went as far as to take away  _ all _ of my light novels.” _

“Don’t worry about it,” Kagome let out a tired sigh. “I just wish that I would have known sooner. All three of you canceled on me unexpectedly.” She glanced down at the cup of tea in front of her. Kagome shook her head and forced herself to smile. “We’ll hang out another time. Don’t worry about it, okay?”

“If you’re sure…” Still sounding a bit down with everything, Yuka said her goodbyes to Kagome and both girls hung up their phones. 

Kagome set her phone down on the top of the metal table and balanced her chin on the back of her hand as she sat there for a few seconds.

“Well this sucks,” she muttered before picking up her tea and taking a sip of it. “We finally get the chance to make plans again, but then everyone needs to cancel.” She knew it couldn’t be helped. Eri had needed to visit her grandmother in the hospital, Ayumi had no other choice than to handle chores, and Yuka was being made to study.

Even though she knew that she still couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed.

It was already too late in the day to make any other plans, and she had gotten herself ready for a girls day.

“Should I just go on and head home now?” Kagome mused to herself. She sat thinking her options over for a few minutes. Just as she was about to get up and take herself home, a voice calling her name caught her attention. Kagome blinked and looked up, her eyes meeting a deep green.

“Oh Mibuchi-senpai,” she tilted her head to the side before offering him a polite smile. “Good to see you.”

“I could say the same, Kag-chan~” Reo responded with a similar smile present on his own face. “May I sit with you?”

“Oh, um, sure,” Kagome nodded, and he sat down in the chair opposite of her own. 

Once he had a small conversation started up between the two of them.

"So what were you out doing today?” Kagome decided to ask him.

“Nothing exciting,” he responded, “just got bored so I decided to check out a few stores.” He brushed back the hair that had fallen in his face and then nodded towards her. “You? What is it that has gotten you out and dressed up so cutely?” She felt her cheeks heat up at that comment, but before she could respond he continued. “Oh? Could it be a date?”

She didn’t think she looked all that cute.

Did she?

All she had worn was a pink and white sundress. Well, she also had pulled her hair back and used a bow to tie it up in a ponytail. She hadn’t even worn any kind of makeup, though… 

“I’m not going on any date,” she stated firmly, deciding right then and there to put an end to any of those thoughts. “Romantic relationships are not one of my top priorities. School and you guys are. I’ve got more than enough guys on my hands dealing with all of you,” she said, “I don’t need to add a boyfriend into that mix.” She giggled after saying that, and she looked back up to meet his stare. “As for why I am out, well, I was going to meet up with some girlfriends but they ended up having to cancel.

Reo nodded at hearing her explanation, and he leaned forward a bit with a brighter look on his face. “In that case, then why don’t you spend the day with me? We can have a day- just you and me!”

“H-huh?” Kagome felt her heart skip a beat. “Are you sure? It might not be fun hanging out with me.”

“Why would you think that?” He frowned at hearing her response. “Whoever gave you that impression?” It wasn’t very pleasing to hear her say that, out of all the things she could have responded with.

“Don’t worry yourself with it,” she said and shook her head. “It isn’t important.” Kagome reached behind her to fix her hair as she pushed what she had said to the back of her mind. “If you are sure, then yes. I’d enjoy the chance to spend some time with you today, Mibuchi-senpai.”

He opted to ignore her prior statement, and he offered her a smile, which she did not hesitate to return. “Oh great!” He came to stand next to her, and he caught then just how much shorter she was than him. “You’re so little, Kag-chan. It’s adorable!”

She blushed at hearing him say that. “I’m not that short,” she grumbled, “you’re just tall.”

* * *

So she went through her day with Reo, opposed to her three female friends. To be fair, she didn’t mind the switch much.  He was nice, and he was easy to talk to and interact with.

They went to several different stores just to look through the shelves. At one Kagome paused in front of a display of cell phone charms. There was a large variety, but a specific one caught her attention more than any of the others.

It was a green and blue flower shaped one. The center of the flower was the shape of a tiny, white heart. The other charms did not appeal to her as much as that one did, and she did not hesitate to take it from its place on the shelf.

“Ne, ne, Mibuchi-senpai, look at this!” Kagome called out to him, and he turned to face her upon hearing her voice. “Isn’t it absolutely adorable?” 

He got closer to her and looked over the charm with a keen stare. Reo nodded and clasped his hands together. “It really is cute,” he said, and Kagome beamed up at him upon hearing him say that. A second later she reached to take another- and the last of that one- from the shelf, and she held it out to him.

“Then let’s get matching ones, okay?”

He did not hesitate to nod, unable to even consider turning down the idea of having something matching with the tiny manager of the team.

She looked quite happy at the idea, and he thought that was precious.

His cute little manager.


	7. Chapter Six: Intimidation in Blue Hue.

“I must leave you on your own to handle today’s practice,” Sesshoumaru said as he approached Kagome’s seat. “I know that I need not ask this question, but will you be able to handle the males on your own?”

Kagome blinked as she continued to put her stuff back in her bag. “I’ve managed to do it before, so I like to think everything will go just fine,” she assured him with a cute little smile on her face. Sesshoumaru returned her smile with a small nod and he watched as she left the classroom to make her way to the gym.

Soon things would be getting amusing.

He was a little excited about that.

She had stopped off in one of the bathrooms on her way to the gym to fix her hair up as she usually would do. She exited the bathroom pulling on the long locks of hair she had just tied up.

“Hm... I probably should look into getting it cut again,” she mused quietly to herself as she walked towards the gym. It was longer than it ever had been, and it was beginning to become a hassle to deal with. Kagome let out a tiny huff before shaking the thought from her mind.

She entered the gym and greeted those inside as she usually did. Her bag was placed out of the way and she silently dug her clipboard from it. The pen clipped to it was adjusted before she finally removed it, the clamp snapping hard against the wood underneath.

“I am unsure if you all know, but Coach will not be able to attend today’s practice, which means I will be overseeing it until the end,” she began as she walked to stand in front of the boys of Rakuzan’s team. Handling an entire practice on her own was something she had yet to do, so she could only remain determined through it all.

It couldn’t be that hard to do, right?

* * *

 

She had been wrong.

Oh so wrong.

How on earth’s green and glorious surface had she ever thought she’d be able to handle a team full of teenage boys on her own?

There was one person unwilling to cooperate with her, and it was beginning to grate heavily on her nerves. Others tried to scold him, but he refused to listen.

“Right now you are not in need of a break,” Kagome repeated for the second time, ice invading her normally ocean-blue eyes. “You can go for another fifteen minutes until you all are in need of a break. You cannot fool me.” She knew when a break would be needed, and playing childish was not a wise move to do with her. “Now do as I said, and continue practice. What you are doing now is hindering everyone else’s progress, and that is something I will not tolerate. Not from you. Not from anyone.”

Others had come to a halt when she had stepped foot on the court to face the unwilling teammate.  Even as he stood over her, his height did nothing to intimidate her, and she kept an ice-like glare focused on his agitated expression.

She looked them over, noting that more than just a few of them seemed to desire to intervene, yet they seemed to be frozen by her own expression. Akashi stood watching with one hand pressed to his waist. On his face was an expression she was unable to read, but she ignored him for the most part. He had yet to move and step in mid-argument, so she could only believe he wanted to see how it would play out in the long run.

“If you remain insistent on causing problems for me, and cutting into the rest of the team’s practice, then I have no patience or tolerance for you.” Kagome glare deepened into a dark look. “I will extract you if I must. Such behavior has no purpose here.” It was silent as she took a step closer. “By force, or by your own willing feet. That is your decision to make. Just know that I am not fond of people wasting my time, as you currently are.”

“I think it might be best for us to move on from this discussion,” Reo stated as he attempted to pull their manager back a few paces, lest she ends up getting injured by his teammate. He had his own glare on his face as he attempted to keep Kagome at a safe distance.

“No need,” she said coldly, tugging her arm from his gentle grasp and silencing him with a frigid look. “He was just about to leave.” Her tone showed complete control of the current situation. 

“Yes.” Akashi finally spoke up. “There is no need for such a person on this team,” he stated in cold honesty. “At her abilities, Kagome does quite well. She is unable to overlook important things to the health of the players she must care for, and to assume you know better than her is quite a foolish claim. To attempt and deceive her by aggressive tactics will not end in a favorable way to you.”

Kagome blinked at hearing those words come from him. He so readily agreed with her… Then this person must have been an issue for him to handle as well?

“My orders are absolute.”

At Akashi’s butting in, he relented and left the gym. The door slammed closed behind him, and Kagome then turned to face the others.  She left the court and resumed her position at the sideline.

“Resume practice now. It's best to ignore everything that just happened. It isn't important, and I don't care to hear any more on it,” she stated in a voice still coated in ice. There were no more complaints, and the players did as she had requested of them.

* * *

 

By the end of practice, she still had the same agitated expression present on her face. None dared to try and approach her due to the intimidating aura around her. She sat, writing a few different things down on her clipboard, her expression blank and devoid of any inkling as to how she was feeling. She had removed her hair from its tie almost a half hour ago.

When Akashi finally approached her she did not even bother to look up before asking him what he wanted from her. Instead of saying anything he remained silent as he watched her. After the sudden quiet she heaved a sigh and lifted her glare up to rest on his face.

“What?” She asked a second time, her already thinned patience being strung even thinner. She did not want to get on the wrong side of the redheaded captain, but there was a reason she hadn’t interacted with any of them since the interruption earlier.

Her temper was alive as ever, and she did not want to go off on someone who had not earned such treatment.

“It is unexpected.”

Deciding to indulge in the confusion she felt, she balanced her chin on the back of her hand as she waited for him to elaborate more on his words.

“Even with the warning, it is hard to truly believe you can have such a fierce temper. Even after a small glimpse of it, I still find it hard to believe.”

She snorted as she stood up, focusing a colder glare on his face.

“Well believe it, buddy,” she told him. She plucked her stuff up from the ground and moved to pass him, completely done with the current conversation. “We’re done for the day. I have nothing I wish to go over.”

“Wait.”

She stopped at the word, turning around long enough to decline his demand. “Don’t want to,” she stated.

“Kagome.”

“I really am not in the mood for any small talk, and I am leaving now before I go off on someone who has done nothing to deserve the full force of my frustration and anger,” Kagome told him before tightening one hand into a small fist. “Your orders may be  _ absolute  _ to the others but not to me. Sesshoumaru cannot make me do anything that I don't want to do. Neither can you.”

After those words had fallen from her mouth she turned to leave, not bothering once to say a word of goodbye to anyone else standing out of the way.

If she had the patience today, she would have handled it better, but, alas, patience was the single thing that she lacked at that moment. After dealing with Inuyasha so much, she had long since learned just how much she could handle before she would blow her cool.

* * *

 

The Interhigh had begun before she had even realized it, and, for the most part, everything had returned to normal. The team showed no signs of loss, and they were quick to advance forward. She still cheered for them as she did upon their first win of the year.

A few of them had become hesitant of approaching her after the dispute she had with another member, who had ended up leaving the team.

It hadn’t mattered, anyway. If he left so easily then what was the point of having him around?

“Kagome, hey Kagome!”

However, the usual few that seemed to always want to be around her had not shown any interest in leaving her be.

She let out a tiny sigh and turned to face the boy calling her name.

“Yes, Hayama-senpai?” Kagome asked him as she continued to read what was up on her phone. She knew he was looking over her shoulder and reading her message, but she did not mind. It wasn’t anything personal, anyway. He reached forward suddenly and took her phone, making her let out a quiet sound of confusion. “What do you think you’re doing?” She asked him and she began to reach for her phone. “I need to respond to my mom, you know?”

He wasn’t focused on the message, but instead on the charm dangling innocently from her device. A second later he looked over his shoulder to glance at his black-haired teammate.

“Hey! You and Reo-nee have matching charms…” he seemed to pout after saying that, and Kagome rose an eyebrow at his statement. 

“Yeah? We’ve had them for some time now. Are you just now noticing?” Reo asked him, holding his own phone up with a smile. “Give her phone back to her. It’s rude to snatch things from a lady’s hands.”

She held her hand out expectantly, but he hesitated in returning it, instead focusing his attention hard on her face. After a second he rose his hand higher into the air to deny her the device she wanted.

“Is there something more to your and Reo-nee’s relationship?” 

At his question, loudly stated, she nearly lost her footing as she reached for the phone he had held higher above her head. 

“Wha-?” was her oh-so-eloquently phrased response.

“Hm?”

Despite his playful expression, he sounded genuinely curious. Kagome felt her eye twitch as she reached up to grab him by his ear and tug downwards.

“If you insist on acting like a child by holding my phone up out of my reach, then be prepared to be scolded as if you were a child.” 

“Ow!”

He let out a yelp and bent down with the help of her tugging. He quickly handed her phone back, and she released her grip on his ear. He was quick to pout and rub at the sore spot.

“Don’t ask silly things, Hayama-senpai,” she said then and went back to responding to the message she had gotten from her mother. “I’m going to watch the next match. If you want to watch with me then come on,” she said and began to walk ahead of them.

Kotaro swapped his attention back to his teammate and watched him closely as he soon went to follow after their female companion. He saw the smile present on his face, and he pouted even more.

“No fair Reo-nee!”

“What’s not fair?” He asked, yet did not turn around as the slightly shorter male fell into step with him. “Don’t be so nosy~.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> I had a slight error the first try uploading this. Apologies, as I need to get used to the site still.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


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